Live Well!

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welcome to foodie wellness…As a lover of all food, I often adapt recipes to include a ton of veggies, pulses, legumes and super grains in my meal plans. A highly-energizing super-grain dish to prepare in under 30 minutes is falafel (croquettes) using organic quinoa and amaranth flours. Btw — these falafel store great in the refrigerator for 2-3 days & may freeze well too (but I have yet to keep them on hand to find out).

To prepare from scratch, select finely-ground organic quinoa and amaranth flours, (3 parts to one) and add turmeric, garlic powder, garlic scape/sea salt blend, and other seasonings to taste. For convenience, I prefer using an excellent ‘on the go’ ready-blend —‘Go Go Quinoa Burger Mix’. (available in both US and Canada). Go-Go’s a fair trade company with super grains directly sourced from Bolivia. Their website features incredible recipes, including desserts and monthly features like a Mediterranean Falafel Bowl. To prepare from mix, follow package directions, adding warm water. Flour should be just moist enough to easily form golf-ball-sized falafel. Fry for 3-5 minutes in a ceramic non-stick pan (I never deep-fry), using 3 – 5 TBSP coconut or olive oil. Turn and remove from heat when golden brown. Before falafel are done try some spice and sizzle by adding a dash of coconut aminos (instead of soy sauce), green chili Tabasco and red chili paste. And…you’re ready to… go, go, GO. Keep loving & enjoying great food.

… wondering why live, laugh, thrive ‘s been off the radar…( I call it a ‘sabbatical’)…the good news is I know you got on just fine without me! 🙂

FACT: most of us don’t take enough ‘sabbatical’ time. We are into being ‘there’ all the time for others, we try to eat right, exercise, take supplements, socialize, get enough sleep, etc., and hope that does it for us. But sometimes something tells us we need more. A sabbatical is more than a holiday away from a busy schedule. It’s a lifestyle we need to learn to practise and build into our lives in meaningful ways. It’s about making room to rethink, repurpose and recalibrate. It’s about giving your mind and body plenty of time off . A sabbatical can mean a spiritual retreat or it could mean taking an adventurous lengthy trip away, but far more practically and simply it’s about adding regular ‘R&R’to your ‘to-do’ list.

Don’t wait to take sabbatical time ‘some day’ or maybe when you retire. Do it now. One small tip: don’t abandon your friends and loved ones — just gently let others know you may not be available to do this or that. And whatever your sabbatical time means or looks like for you, commit to NOT to giving up on it. Build it into your everyday time — and live well — body, mind and spirit.

Healthy glowing skin is no accident. The science of beauty and of your body’s largest organ — your skin — requires fresh air exercise and rest, hydrating, promoting healthy gut flora, and focusing on balanced healthy nutrition. Then there’s the importance of using top quality skincare products. Unfortunately, many skincare products do little more than provide surface protection. If you’re looking for a skincare system that truly goes beyond, my recommendation is Celavive, by Usana. Here’s why top science skincare matters… In your 20s and 30s, if you’re like me, you may have felt you could get away doing the minimal. However, without quality skincare oxidative stress and skin damage is cumulative over time. I’ve since sought out and used top-of- the-line products, but it was only when I discovered and started usingCelavive, that my skin suddenly looked and felt noticeably refreshed and rejuvenated every day. If you know it’s time to take back time…please don’t waste another minute. Watch the Celavive video at upstreamdream.usana.com, and let this brand new, high performance skincare system — only from USANA, take your skincare to the next level.

‘Morphs’ in this post refers to ‘body types’ (not shape-shifting). However if you happen to get through this and end up shifting unwanted inches (in an oh so healthy positive way!) in the new year, good for you. ‘Macros‘ in this post isn’t about close-up selfies, it’s about ‘macronutrients’. You know the old phrase: you are what you eat. Knowing your body type has a role in helping you to eat and exercise best to stay fit, lean and healthy. Of the three basic body types, ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph, knowing your ‘type’ and adjusting to the right ratio of macronutrients in your daily diet to achieve wellness goals is a great way to start out the new year. You may be a combination body type, so I recommend researching thoroughly and checking out wellness sites like: muscleandstrength.com or innerbody.com Macronutrients are essential for healthy skin, bones, tissues and organs, and include a balance of fats, proteins and carbs daily. Supplementing with high quality vitamins is also of benefit. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, varying options will apply. See Dr. Axe’s ‘Food is Medicine’ website to to understand why we need macronutrients and how to make the most of them. Hot tip to the wise: make a plan, stick with it, and above all else — enjoy life, healthy eating and exercise, and have fun.

Who doesn’t love feeling like a kid again, enjoying the sparkle and fun of the holiday season? Expectations and emotions soar. Gifts are given and received. Good eats, treats and goodwill abound. Reaching out to help the less fortunate warms the heart. Families gather. Friends reconnect. Short winter hours grow brighter and longer. A new year ahead inspires new things. But somehow underneath all the glitter and glam of holiday seasons, lays a ‘glitch’ called stress. Even good times can sometimes cause us to stress out with an added strain on our pocketbooks, waistlines or relationships. That’s life. And it’s why I’d like to propose planning ‘you’ dates throughout the coming year. Not in a selfish it’s ‘all about me’ way, but with a genuine focus on enjoying every day, because in the long run, it’s the little moments that count most. Whether for you this means discovering a new hobby or plopping down with a bowl of popcorn and a great book or a movie, hitting a ski slope with friends, or even volunteering… a ‘you’ date is simply about marking time on your calendar to live more in the moment and to make a commitment in some small way to being a healthier, happier ‘you’. Life’s worth it and so are you. Happy and healthy 2018!

To maintain a steady flow of antioxidants and to help off-load oxidative stress, plants rich in ‘greenness’and chlorophyll are a good way to go. Brighten up a breakfast smoothie by choosing a protein powder that includes ‘greens’ (I enjoy ‘Vega’ and Vega One’ products), or simply add a scoop of greens like Greens + to your favourite protein powder. Alternatively, build a totally green smoothie from scratch (Vega shares some great recipes). For lunch and dinner, include healthy greens by serving a hefty mixed greens salad with raw green seeds (pumpkin), add rapini or spinach, cilantro, arugula to a stir-fry, or invent a healthy green pesto served over a veggie pasta. Don’t overcook greens with hot meals, (steam or stir fry lightly). Go ‘raw’ whenever possible for optimum benefits. Seaweed wafers or nori can add zip to your greens intake (choose a low salt variety seaweed cracker) and don’t overdo it. Less is more. Granny Smith apples are an excellent green fruit choice. Supplement your greens intake with high quality antioxidants as an extra bonus to healthy living. Go green and always love what you eat!

hey, whatever happened to that old time virtue called ‘patience’? It seems to be a rare, outdated commodity. I was thinking ‘patience’ as I’ve been working on building a new fitness/healthier living regimen recently. Things seemed to be going way too slow. We happen to live in an era where life often feels ‘driven’ by a ‘need’ to get what we want now. Problem is that can add to stress levels and quickly sabotage success or progress. For example, you may not have been active for some time, and end up ‘overdoing’ at the gym, leading to injury. Wellness note to ‘self’: worthwhile achievement — takes time. Do yourself a favour and dump the treadmill mentality. Ease up by being kinder to yourself. If you’re getting into a new regimen, start slow. Three days a week at the gym, and alternating with fresh air walks and cardio and resistance training is great. Up your schedule to 5 days a week as your fitness improves and it feels right. Invest in massage therapy or deep breathing routines with a Pilates or yoga class. Please don’t make fitness or wellness a competition — be in this for you, and always work healthy and happy at your own pace. Find your rhythm. Work out in a way that really works for you. (Example: I like having 15 minutes massage before cardio/stretching, and 15 minutes after. My body thanks me for it) Enjoy life and each day...one minute at a time…